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    WSR Detailed DVD Review
    Back To The Future


    Back To The Future Trilogy DVD Set / Widescreen
    Genre: Fantasy Adventure

    Reviewed In Issue 69 (Feb 2003) Of Widescreen Review®

    Stars:
    Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Crispin Glover & Thomas F. Wilson

    WSR Review Scores
    WSR Picture Rating: 3.5
    DD Sound Rating: 3.5
    DTS Sound Rating: NA
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    Reference Systems
    Critics' Composite Score: 4.5
    Internet Links
    http://www.universalstudios.com/home
    http://www.bttf.com
    Special Features
    The extra features found on Disc One of this three-disc set include two featurettes, two audio commentaries, and an assortment of additional material. The first commentary track features co-screenwriter and co-producer Bob Gale and co-producer Neil Canton. The second commentary is actually a recording of a Q&A session with the two Bobs: director/co-writer Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale, which was recorded at the University of Southern California earlier this year and moderated by DVD producer Laurent Bouzereau. The Q&A runs through the first 99 minutes of the 116-minute film. The featurettes include a 14-minute promotional segment produced during the original production; the second is a newly-produced 16-minute segment, "Making The Trilogy: Chapter One," which covers the genesis of the project, including the original casting of Eric Stoltz in the role of Marty and Michael J. Fox


     DVD General Information

    (Studio/Distributor): Universal Studios Home Video
    (Catalog Number): 22121
    (MPAA Rating): PG
    (Rating Reason):
    (Retail Price): $56.98
    (DVD Type): Single Side, Dual Layer (DVD9)
    (Widescreen Edition): Yes
    (Full Screen Edition): No
    (Anamorphic Widescreen): Yes
    (Running Time In Minutes): 116
    (Color Type): Color
    (Chaptered/Scene Access): Yes
    (Closed Captioned): Yes
    (Regional Coding): 1
    (Theatrical Year): 1985
    (Theatrical Release): Yes
    (Direct-To-Video Release): No
    (DVD Release Date): 12/17/02
    (THX® Digitally Mastered): No

     Credits Information

    (Director): Robert Zemeckis
    (Screenplay/Written By): Subscribe Now!
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      DVD Picture Information

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      DVD Sound Information

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      WSR Narrative Review
    Special Notes:
    There are some framing errors on the two sequel DVDs. There are differences in selected shots when compared to the previously issued LaserDisc. Universal has indicated they will issue corrected discs. Details here: http://www.widescreenreview.com/wsrmmbr/articles/dvdup122302.htm Also available in a separate full screen version.

    Story Synopsis:
    "He was never in time for his classes... He wasn't in time for his dinner... Then one day...he wasn't in his time at all." Ever wonder what your parents were like as teenagers? Thanks to a time machine - in the form of a Delorean sports car - built by eccentric scientist Doc Brown (Lloyd in a wonderful, underrated performance), Marty McFly (Fox) accidentally travels back to the 1950s, where he gets to mingle with his parents while they are in high school. The only problem is that Marty, being the new kid in town and one who is able to stand up to the local bully Biff (Wilson), ends up being a big hit with everyone...including his mom, and changes the course of history. Determined to correct his interaction with the past and get his parents-to-be (Thompson and Glover) to meet, fall in love, and ensure his own future existence, Marty, with the help of Doc Brown, goes through one adventure after another in his effort to get "Back To The Future." The top-grossing movie of 1985, Robert Zemeckis

    DVD Picture:
    The anamorphically enhanced 1.85:1 DVD picture will take you back to the past from the moment you press play. Images exhibit satisfying sharpness and detail. While contrast can seem slightly low in the darker scenes, shadow delineation is quite pleasing. While not as vibrant as the better titles of today, colors are well-balanced and nicely saturated, with accurate fleshtones and deep blacks. There is a bit of film grain and occasional artifacts noticed in the source element, but nothing that could be considered excessive. Edge enhancement is extremely minimal with this title, but there is some minor pixelization that can break apart finer details. (Suzanne Hodges)

    Soundtrack:
    The Dolby

    This Disc Contains The Following WSR-Rated Superb Qualities:
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    Reason #114 Why Readers Love Widescreen Review:

    I appreciate the technical nature of your DVD reviews; that is, the way you rate the sound and picture quality of newly released DVDs. The reviews in most other magazines are concerned not with how good the DVD is, but with just the film itself: quality of the script, actors' performances, etc., all of which are subject to the critic's personal tastes, which may be wildly different from my own.

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